A Violet in the Snow
by StarlightDragonRider
Summary: Akiko Nokazumi is staying with the Awayuki family while she attends Himeno's school. She soon finds out that her friend is more than she appears to be. And Akiko isn't exactly normal herself. Now, the Pretear and the Knights have a new friend and a new threat to deal with. Can they handle it? Or will everything fall apart as secrets of Leafenia are revealed? I haz brought it back!
1. Mysterious Happenings

_~ ~ Look! It's back!_

_I know you all have been wondering where this story went and I want to sincerely apologize to all of my faithful readers and reviewers for making this disappear. But now it has returned! _

_Just so you know, this story is based on the Pretear manga, not the anime, so the Leafe Knights' appearances will be a little different. Just wanted to let you guys know that so things don't get confusing for you._

_I do not own any part of Pretear. Only my OC is mine. Oh, and the plot of this fanfiction. :/ ~ ~_

* * *

**Mysterious Happenings**

Himeno walked slowly towards the school gates. Other students passed her on their way off of the school grounds. Behind her, the last bell of the day was still ringing. But, she wasn't thinking about school, home, or even family. Her mind was set on a group of boys she hadn't seen in over a year.

"Himeno!" She turned at the sound of a bell-like voice calling her name. Himeno saw a girl with violet colored hair and bright sky blue eyes walking quickly towards her. A smile crossed her face.

"Hey, Akiko," she said when the girl had stopped in front of her. Akiko cocked her head to the side and placed her hands on her hips.

"Did you plan on walking home without me?" she asked Himeno.

"Sorry; my mind was elsewhere," Himeno explained. "I wasn't paying attention." Akiko nodded in understanding. Himeno turned to look back towards the gate. Had she really been so preoccupied with thinking that she had forgotten about Akiko? It wasn't that she normally didn't go off into her own little world occasionally; it was just that she hadn't been able to get the boys out of her head. She noticed that Akiko was looking at her with curiosity. "So, shall we be going?" Akiko smiled and nodded. The two girls started off towards the Awayuki mansion.

* * *

Later, Akiko and Himeno were sitting in Himeno's room doing their homework. Suddenly, there was a tap on the balcony door. Both girls looked up. There was nothing on the balcony.

"What was that?" Akiko asked, glancing at Himeno. She shrugged. They were about to continue on with their homework when a round of furious tapping interrupted them. Himeno got up and went over to the door. Opening it and walking out onto the balcony, she looked around.

"Well, that's weird," she said with a huff. "There's nothing out here." Then, she noticed a group of people standing in the mansion's driveway. She stepped over to the railing and looked down. Immediately, her eyes widened and she dashed from the room and headed downstairs. After pulling on her shoes, she ran out onto the driveway and stopped, staring in amazement, in front of the group.

It was the Leafe Knights.

The Knight with black hair with red highlights and red eyes smiled and said, "Hey, Himeno." She scanned the group quickly. They were all here and they looked exactly like she remembered them. Just as she was about to say something in return, she heard a small, "Himeno?" from behind her. She turned to see Akiko standing in the doorway to the mansion.

"Who's that?" one of the smaller Knights, the one with white hair and light blue eyes, asked. The other two younger Knights nodded. Instead of answering, Himeno smiled at Akiko.

"Akiko, these are some friends of mine. Everyone, this is Akiko Nokazumi. She's a participant of a cultural exchange program that my school is hosting. One of our students traded places with Akiko. They went to America, where she's from, and Akiko came here. Natsue offered room and board for her while she's here," Himeno explained. Turning back to the Knights, she examined their bemused expressions. Although she had predicted their reactions, she didn't expect Akiko to be the one who said, "Nice to meet you all."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," said Kei, the Knight with blonde hair and yellow eyes. Akiko nodded at him and smiled at the group. Himeno was about to make introductions when she remembered what she had been about to say before Akiko came out. Turning to Sasame, one of the older Knights who had blonde hair and light brown eyes, she asked, "Why are you all here? I thought you weren't coming back…"

"Yes, well, that's something we wanted to talk to you about," said the Knight who had greeted Himeno earlier, Goh. Himeno looked at him with confusion. Goh looked at Akiko nervously as if to say, "We can't talk about it with her around." Nodding in understanding, Himeno turned back to Akiko.

"I just have to talk with them about something. It shouldn't take long. I'll be back up to finish our homework in a few minutes," she told her. After one last glance at the group, Akiko nodded and walked back into the house.

"Well, she's quite charming," Kei said, trying to break the silence. Himeno sighed and looked back at the Knights. It had been over a year and she hadn't gotten used to them being gone. Now, they were back and had something they wanted to talk to her about. Himeno didn't know which situation she preferred more. Sasame cleared his throat, bringing her back to the thing at hand.

"Himeno," he said, "we have been monitoring the Leafe flow of Earth ever since we went back to Leafenia. For over a year now, it has been stable. Then, a few days ago, there was a shift. Leafe levels all over the city suddenly dropped. We were wondering if you had noticed anything." Himeno blinked and thought back on the past few weeks.

"Nothing unusual happened except for Akiko's arrival. But, that was weeks ago and you said the shift showed up a few days ago, so it can't be her." Sasame nodded.

"That makes sense," Kei put in. "Besides, I don't think Akiko is anything other than a normal human." Himeno sighed again. Things always got complicated when the Knights were involved.

"Well, if you haven't noticed anything, then there is no reason to bring you into this," a voice said from the back of the group. It was Hayate, the oldest of the Knights. He was looking away from the mansion, refusing to meet Himeno's gaze. In a small burst of rage, she said to him, "If there is a Leafe shift in _my_ home town, I have every reason to be involved in this." Hayate said nothing.

"Well," Goh said, trying to not start a fight. Things always got hairy when the two of them started arguing. The last thing they needed was the Pretear getting angry at one of them. Himeno continued to glare at Hayate for a few minutes before turning around briskly and saying, "I have homework to do. See you later guys." She started to walk back towards the house when Sasame turned his head. What had he just felt?

"Himeno…" he started, but was cut off by Mannen yelling, "Hey, someone's coming!" All of them whirled around, including Himeno. Staggering towards them was a middle aged man. He seemed to be shaken.

"What the…?" Goh muttered. As the man got closer, Sasame frowned. Something was off about him, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Then, the man moved his head so that they could see his face. Himeno gasped. The man's eyes looked like the eye you would find on a demon larva.

"H-help me," he mumbled. Then, he collapsed in front of them. Mannen went to take a step forward when Hayate held out an arm in front of him and said, "Wait." The man was changing. The group watched in horror as the man went from being human, or whatever he was before, to a huge snarling wolf. Himeno took a scared step back as the monster reared back and let out a cry.

"What is that?" she asked in a frightened whisper.

* * *

_~ ~ Sorry for leaving a cliff hanger in the first chapter like that. It was getting a bit long and I wanted some suspense. Well, I guess I got it, huh? Review please! I want to know what you think before I continue. ~ ~_


	2. A New Ally

_~ ~ Argh, this was NOT the most fun chapter I've ever written. I had trouble coming up with descriptions for some things. Oh, well, can't help it if I don't like it. Well, we authors must critique ourselves, don't we? Enjoy! ~ ~_

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**A New Ally**

"What is that?!" Himeno yelled. The wolf creature rocked back down onto all four feet and stared menacingly at them. The two youngest Knights, Hajime, who had orange hair and aquamarine eyes, and Shin, who had golden brown hair and green eyes, were huddled together. Hajime was mumbling, "We're scared, we're scared." Mannen looked at the monster with eyes full of fright.

"We don't know!" Goh yelled as the monster roared again. "We've never seen anything like this!" Hayate's frown deepened. With a flash, he was dressed in his Knight uniform. Seeing him transform, the rest of the Knights followed suit.

"We can't just leave it alone," he said. "Let's try to get rid of it." Goh and him jumped into the air and flew towards the beast. Himeno watched as they threw attack after attack at it. None of their efforts seemed to be doing anything. Just as she was about to go and help them, she heard a frightened, "What's going on?" She whirled around and looked at Akiko angrily.

"I thought I said I would be back in a few minutes!" she told her in rage. Akiko's blue eyes drilled into her.

"I was working on my homework when I heard shouting and a load roar. I came out to see what you were…" Her voice trailed off. Himeno followed her friend's frightened gaze to the Knights standing behind her. _This is so not good!_ Himeno thought. She turned back to Akiko and was about to explain when there was a shout from behind her. _I seem to be turning around in circles a lot lately,_ she thought as she spun to see Goh and Hayate land in front of her.

"It's no good, we can't do anything to damage it," Goh said. He was holding his side and had a couple of scratches on his face. Hayate looked similar except that his left arm had been grazed lightly. The creature roared for the third time and began to approach them. Akiko gasped. Himeno's mind snapped into fighting mode.

"Goh, fall back and try not to push your wounds. Hayate, let's see if a little bit of Pretear power will dent this thing," she said in a business-like tone. Then, she turned to Kei and held out her hand. "Kei." He nodded and took her hand. In a flash of light, Himeno had changed out of her school uniform and was now standing before them as the Pretear of Light.

"Sasame, kids, stay here and help Goh protect Akiko and the house." With a nod at Hayate, she jumped into the air, the Knight of Wind following closely behind. Sasame and Goh traded glances.

"Why do we get the boring job?" Mannen whined. Despite his wounds, Goh managed to bat him upside the head. Sasame turned to Akiko, who was watching the whole scene with wide, frightened eyes. She was paler then she had been when they had first met her.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, coming to stand before her. Akiko shook her head and whispered, "Who are you people?"

"We're the Leafe Knights!" Hajime said proudly. "We protect the world's Leafe!" Akiko looked down at the kids for a brief second, before turning her eyes back to Sasame. He smiled warmly at her.

"We won't let anything happen to you," he told her. She nodded shakily and looked up at the monster. Himeno was flying quickly around it while Hayate distracted it. After a few seconds, Himeno paused in mid-air and called, "There's no core!" Sasame whirled around in surprise.

"That's impossible, Himeno!" Goh yelled. Sasame shook his head and said, "Not if it's not a demon larva." Everyone turned and stared at the Knight of Sound.

"What do you mean 'it's not a demon larva'?" Mannen asked him. "It has to be a demon larva!" Then, in a smaller voice that wasn't meant to be heard, he added, "Doesn't it?" Sasame was about to explain his logic when there was another shout from Himeno.

"It has tentacles!" She was inside a glowing yellow shield that was wrapped in vine-like structures coming from the creature's body. Goh muttered a brief string of curses under his breath before firing at the tentacles. They snapped and Himeno fell, or rather landed, on the ground.

Now the monster was treacherously close to the group and to the house. Akiko screamed as a group of tentacles flew towards her. Sasame stepped in front of her and blasted them.

"We can't do anything to harm it!" Himeno yelled. Hayate landed next to her and they both looked up at the beast in horror. Goh gritted his teeth and braced himself for a fight, Sasame frowned and Mannen was beginning to form a ball of ice in his hands. Suddenly, Akiko gasped. Sasame looked over his shoulder at her. Akiko was cupping her hands in front of her chest. Hovering above her hands was an ovular golden locket with delicate etchings of vines and flowers covering it. In the center of the pattern was a small circular jewel that appeared to be constantly changing colors. The locket was attached to a thin golden chain around Akiko's neck and was glowing slightly.

"What the blazes…?" Goh said under his breath. Hajime and Shin stared at the locket in amazement. Mannen's eyes widened and he asked loudly, "What the hell is going on?!" Sasame turned around and took a step towards Akiko.

"It's radiating Leafe," he said. Akiko looked up from the locket and met his gaze.

"Akiko, what's going on?" Himeno asked, approaching. Akiko shook her head wildly.

"I wish I knew!" she cried. Suddenly, the locket opened and light poured from within it. Akiko gasped as she watched the light encircle her. There was a brilliant flash which had everyone covering their eyes. When the brightness had died off, everyone stared at Akiko.

Now, instead of standing before them in her school uniform, Akiko was wearing a silky white gown with short sleeves. It fell almost past her knees and had shimmering, multicolored ribbon on the hem, and around the sleeve ends and collar. On her feet was a pair of white sandals. The locket fell slowly until it was resting against her chest.

"Wow, that was weird," Mannen said bluntly. The other Knights and Himeno were speechless. Akiko looked down at herself and then around the group.

"I-I don't know what just happened," she said quietly. Sasame frowned slightly and Goh blinked several times, as if he were seeing things. Then, Hajime said in a hushed voice, "Look at her back." Everyone turned. Akiko looked over her shoulder and gasped again. Protruding from in between her shoulder blades was a pair of delicate looking wings covered in glistening white feathers.

"I've never seen anything like it," Sasame observed dryly. Akiko looked around the group once more.

"You mean you don't know what just happened to me?" she asked in a quiet voice. Sasame shook his head sadly and said, "I wish I did." Akiko looked sadly at the sky. Then, her eyes widened and she screamed. Everyone whirled around to see that the monster was rushing towards them.

"Shit!" Goh cried. Hayate muttered something under his breath. Himeno just stood in shock and watched as the beast got closer and closer. Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, including her own, Akiko walked to the front of the group. She paused for a second before continuing, walking straight towards the monster.

"Akiko!" Sasame cried. As if she didn't hear him, Akiko kept walking. When she was only two feet away from the monster, both her and the creature stopped. Then, with majestic grace, Akiko opened her wings and flew up to hover just above the monster's head.

"Akiko!" Hajime, Mannen and Shin yelled in unison. Akiko stretched her arms out in front of her and started to say something. Everyone held their breath and watched as the monster twitched and started to shrink. Then, in the blink of an eye, the beast vanished. Akiko stayed in the air and everyone's gaze turned to the man lying on the driveway.

"What….just happened?" Himeno asked nobody in particular. Everyone was amazed. The only thing any of them was certain of was that they had just discovered a new ally.

* * *

_~ ~ Not quite a cliff hanger this time. I try not to make one at the end of every chapter. I just want to have a bit of suspense. It makes things more interesting, don't you think? Well, review, review, review please! ~ ~_


	3. Secret of the Ring

_~ ~ Well, this definitely isn't my most creative title yet. But, I couldn't think of anything better to put! This chapter is where things start to get VERY complicated. Sorry about that. I just write it how it comes out. Hope you like it! ~ ~_

**Secret of the Ring**

"Well, that was the weirdest damn thing I've ever seen," Goh said. In a small flash of light, Himeno was standing next to Kei, again wearing her school uniform.

"What happened with Akiko?" she asked. As if on cue, Akiko flew down and landed in front of them. Hovering above her outstretched hands was a small golden ring. She looked just as surprised, if not more, as everyone else to see it there. On the band were the same markings that were on Akiko's locket. A multicolored jewel, also similar to the one on the locket, adorned the head. Sasame walked towards her.

"Akiko, are you alright?" he asked her. She removed her eyes from the slightly glowing ring and met his gaze. After a few seconds, she nodded.

"What the hell just happened?!" Mannen yelled, stomping over to Akiko. "How did you do all of that? Where did the monster go? And what the hell is this thing?" At the last question, he thrust a finger at the ring. Goh sighed and walked over. After batting him on the head, he pulled Mannen back a few inches. Kei came over and looked at the ring with curiosity. He had to bend over a bit to examine it correctly.

"Don't get too close," Goh warned. "We don't know what it can do." Kei nodded, but never took his eyes off of the ring.

"Fascinating," he said after a while. Straightening up, he turned to the rest of the Knights.

"Mind telling us what, exactly, is so 'fascinating'?" Hayate asked. Kei nodded.

"It appears that this ring, as well as Akiko's locket, are both Leafenian artifacts," he told them. As if it were planned, all three kids uttered a simultaneous "Huh?" Akiko looked back down at the ring in her hands.

"Are you sure, Kei?" Sasame asked. The Knight of Light nodded.

"Positive. An object that radiates that much Leafe and is made out of Illuminium can't be from anywhere else."

"Illuminium?" Akiko asked. She glanced at Himeno who shrugged.

"It's a new term to me," the Pretear said. Hayate sighed.

"Of course you wouldn't have heard about it before, Tulip Head. You've only been to Leafenia once," he told her. Himeno whirled on him.

"'Tulip Head'?! Who're you calling a 'Tulip Head'?!" she yelled at him. He frowned at her and yelled back, "You! Who do you think?" Himeno thumped him on the head. He placed a hand on the spot and glared at her as she said, "Do NOT call me 'Tulip Head'!" Akiko giggled lightly. Kei, Sasame and Goh all turned back to her and the ring.

"So, what do we do with it?" Hajime asked pointedly. Goh shrugged, which caused him to wince slightly, and Kei closed his eyes. Sasame kept his eyes on Akiko.

"How did you know to do all of that?" he asked her. She looked at him confusedly. Then, she looked up at the darkening sky.

"I don't know," she said. "I was confused after my locket started to glow. Then, when I started to walk towards the monster, it was like I wasn't really doing anything, but more like my body just knew what to do." She blushed and trained her eyes on the ring. "I know it sounds confusing, but I don't know any other way to describe it."

"You described it as best as you could," Sasame told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with that." She looked at him and he smiled at her.

"Well, that's nice and all, but I _still _don't get what all of this was about," Mannen said. All of the Knights nodded in agreement, except for Hajime. He was staring at the ring.

"Um, guys…" he started to say, but was cut off.

"Mannen, you are really stupid sometimes, you know that?" Goh said to him, placing a hand on his forehead in mock frustration.

"Guys…"

"I am not stupid!" Mannen yelled at him. "You're the idiot! You probably don't get it either!"

"Guys!" Everyone looked at Hajime. He pointed at the ring and said, "It's fading." Immediately, all eyes were on the ring. Akiko and the group watched as the ring slowly faded out of being. After it had vanished, Hayate threw up his hands.

"Great! Now what are we going to do?" he asked, irritated. Himeno switched from her shocked expression to one of annoyance and rolled her eyes. Then, Akiko said, "Wait." The Knight of Wind and the Pretear both looked at Akiko's outstretched hand. On the ring finger of her right hand was the ring. She held her hand so that her palm was facing down and the ring's gem was facing the sky.

"How did it get there?" Kei asked. Himeno walked over to get a better view. In doing so, she moved out of the way of the setting sun, which she had been blocking before. The sunlight glinted off of the gem and it started to glow.

"Wait, what just happened?" she asked, looking from the spot she had been standing in to the ring. Akiko and the Knights just watched as a small translucent figure appeared, floating, over the gem. It looked to be a girl with similar hair color to Akiko.

"Whoa…" Mannen said, only to be shushed by Goh. The girl above the ring faced Akiko.

"Well, my dear," it said, "it seems as if you have found and activated the Leafenian Talisman of Light." Everybody was speechless as the figure continued.

"You are a very special girl, Akiko Nokazumi." Akiko blinked and asked, "How do you know my name?" The figure smiled.

"I am Jutaka Amoree, and I have a story to tell you."

_~ ~ Ooh, another cliff hanger. Sorry if I seem to keep doing that. I just don't want the chapters getting too long. I hate spending a large amount of time reading chapters that just seem to go on, and on, and on into the sunset. So, I try to make my chapters short-ish. Well, review and I'll get you down from this nasty cliff I've put you on. :) ~ ~ _


	4. Leafenia's Secret History

_~ ~ Okay, time to get off of this cliff! This whole chapter is basically the story that Jutaka is telling the Akiko, Himeno, and the Knights. I didn't want the story to be punctuated by dialogue because that would make things a bit difficult to follow. ~ ~_

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**Leafenia's Secret History**

"In the very beginning, there was only one world. It was what would one day become Leafenia. But, it didn't look like the Leafenia of your time. No, it was quite different. The land was yet to be lush and fertile. Instead, it was dry, dismal, and just very depressing to see. There was a town and a castle and animals and plants, but things were very monochromatic.

"Living in the castle were the two rulers of Leafenia, or the twin princesses. So as not to dictate which of the rulers had more power than the other, the separate titles of 'King,' 'Queen,' 'Prince' and 'Princess' were cast out, instead leaving only one title and rank of 'Princess.' It did a decent bit to decrease fighting. Fighting between whom, you may ask. Well, that's sort of where everything started.

"You see, there were two factions of the Leafenian people, or two races as some might call it. There were the Leafenians who had little or no powers to speak of. This was the largest group of people and its members were the most common. Also, there was the group of Leafenians who had extraordinary powers. They looked very different from the other Leafenians, for they possessed wings. Now, every Leafenian could fly. But, some Leafenians believed that the possession of wings was rather like a status symbol. There was constant bickering over this fact, so much so that the two rulers, of whom there was one from each faction, were caused a decent bit of stress.

"You may be wondering where I come in. Well, I was the princess who was from the faction of winged Leafenians, or the Arctosians. The other princess was a member of the faction that possessed no wings, or the Jalurians. But, unlike most Jalurians, the princess possessed greater powers. She would become what would one day be known as the Pretear. There were seven other Jalurians who possessed powers similar to the princess's. They would eventually be called the Leafe Knights.

"Well, one day, while myself and my fellow princess, Olanna, were out in the town trying to settle the bickering, there was a fight. One of the Jalurians had rallied together a group of people who supported the 'cleansing of the land.' In other words, they wished to rid the land of the 'outcasts,' the Arctosians. The group gathered together weapons, for they were mostly made up of Leafenians who didn't have any powers, and attacked the Arctosians who were attending the hearing Olanna and I were holding. They even tried to attack me at one point, but Olanna and I escaped back to the castle.

"For the rest of the day, the group continued to seek out Arctosians all over the town. They would burn houses to lure the Arctosians out into the streets and then they would kill them or capture them. The future Leafe Knights went out into the town to try and stop the rampaging Jalurians as well as bring any remaining Arctosians back to the castle to be safe. Unfortunately, they were only moderately successful at both ventures.

"The next day, we discovered that myself and the thirty or so other Arctosians that had been saved were the only surviving members of the race. Needless to say, we were all heartbroken, being that most of our families and friends were dead. Olanna and myself were unsure of what to do about the recent events. Then, one of the future Leafe Knights offered up a solution. We would create talismans that would contain the very essence of the world.

"Construction on the talismans began. Soon, there were seven complete talisman shells made. They were made out of Illuminium, the strongest substance on Leafenia. Each talisman had a different form, so as to keep them safe should the rampaging Jalurians learn about them and try to seek them out. Then, each of the future Leafe Knights poured a little bit of their essence into one of the seven talismans.

"Once the talismans were finished, something extraordinary happened. The talismans began to glow. At first we had thought that something had gone wrong. Apparently, it was exactly the opposite. The talismans were creating a new world.

"All over the land, life sprung up at an alarming pace. Beauty blossomed all over and everything gained new colors and lightened spirits. In the language of the world, the word for life was 'Leafe' and since the world was being filled with life, it was named Leafenia. The givers of life were named the Leafe Knights. Since she was the leader of the Leafe Knights, Olanna was named the princess of life, or the Pretear.

"Now, although we didn't know it at the time, the talismans were more powerful than we intended. They filled Leafenia with life, and kept going. The overflow of life led to the creation of Earth. Earth started out as just a place where the excess Leafe went. But, when that Leafe collected, it created humans, plants, and all known life on Earth. It was, however, a fairly long time before the life on Earth evolved into what it is today.

"And so, that is how Earth was created and Leafenia got its name. The Jalurians continued to hunt the Arctosians. Eventually, only I remained. In order to preserve the Arctosian race, I travelled to Earth where the Jalurians couldn't follow. Also, to protect them, I brought the talismans with me and scattered them. I only kept the Talisman of Light in order to protect myself in case any Jalurians found me. As time went on, the rampaging Jalurians eventually were 'extinguished.' The Leafe Knights and the Pretear were the only Jalurians left.

"Leafenians have the power of self replication, but it only activates when there is an extremely low number of our race. The lines of the Pretear and the Leafe Knights were preserved. But, something went wrong with my self replication. Apparently, Earth weakened me when I crossed over. So, I was only able to self replicate once. That was how you were created, Akiko. In order to protect you, for the world you were born into was a terribly dangerous one, I sent you forward in time to where you are now. Then, I preserved myself in the Talisman of Light so that the knowledge of the past would be forever preserved.

"That, my dear Akiko, is the story I had to tell you. It is the secret and forgotten history of Leafenia."

* * *

_~ ~ Whew, that was a doozy to write. I hope it wasn't too complicated and confusing. Review it and tell me how it was. I want to see how this chapter went before I continue the story. ~ ~_


	5. Facing Fear

_~ ~ Alright, now. For this chapter, I can't really say anything, because that would give some things away. So, just read on and you'll see what I mean. And if you don't….reread the chapter. :) ~ ~_

* * *

**Facing Fear**

Akiko stared at the small figure of Jutaka floating above the ring. Was she really telling the truth? Well, sure, it may _sound _convincing, but what if she had just made it up? If it was true, then Akiko was a princess of Leafenia. But, then, so was Himeno. If she was a replicate of Jutaka, did that mean that she was her mother? Questions swirled around inside Akiko's head.

"Akiko," the small princess said, "I know this may be difficult for you to understand and accept, but you are the only remaining Arctosian on either of the two worlds." Akiko blinked in shock. She was the only remnant of an ancient and forgotten race?

"What about Akiko's locket?" Shin asked. Jutaka replied, "That was a possession of mine. I made it so that only when it was opened would Akiko be able to take her true Arctosian form. This was the only way I could keep her hidden among your modern world of humans."

"Jutaka," Kei said. "What would happen if one of the Talismans were to fall into the hands of a human?" The figure turned to face him.

"The human would experience an immense increase in their Leafe levels. The Talismans hold so much power within them, that if that power were to be released into a human, it would most likely cause them to mutate in order to facilitate all of that energy."

"So that's what happened with the guy over there?" Hajime asked, pointing to the still unconscious man. The figure of Jutaka frowned slightly.

"You mean that you have witnessed a mutation caused by a Talisman?" she asked. Sasame nodded.

"Yes. Actually, it was the Talisman of Light that caused it," he told her. Jutaka's frown deepened.

"Then the other Talismans won't be hidden for much longer…" she said, her voice trailing off. Himeno frowned and asked, "Wait, what do you mean? Other people will start finding them?" Jutaka nodded solemnly.

"Yes, unfortunately, once one of the Talismans has been uncovered, I'm afraid that they might try to find it and the others."

"'They?'" Akiko said quietly. Jutaka turned back to her.

"There was a rumor that a small group of Jalurians made it to Earth in pursuit of me," she said. "It is possible that they managed to self replicate successfully and are still around today. If they detect the fluctuations in Leafe caused by mutations, they will try and seek out the cause. Discovering the Talismans would not be a good thing for them to accomplish. They might then try to establish a dictatorial reign over Earth."

"So, long story short, keep the Talismans away from the Jalurians," Goh said. "Shouldn't be too hard."

"Akiko," Jutaka said. Akiko looked down at her. The princess continued, "Due to your power levels, you are the only one who is able to defeat, or cure, a mutated human. The Leafe Knights will be unable to affect most of the monsters. The only way they will be able to help you is if you can figure out which Knight has the power match to that of the Talisman."

"Power match?" Himeno asked. Kei nodded.

"Each of our powers has a strength and a weakness. Sound is strong against light but weak against ice, light is strong against wind but weak against sound, and so on. When you put all of the powers in order by which power they are weak or strong against, it forms a circle. That circle is what's known as the Leafe Matrix," he explained. "Since each Talisman contains a specific power, we just need to figure out which one of our powers is strong against it and then we will be able to at least damage the monster that mutated from it." While he talked, Jutaka nodded in agreement.

"That is correct," she said. "By using the Leafe Matrix, you will at least be able to assist Akiko, but she will still be the only one who can completely vanquish a mutant." After the words had left her mouth, the small figure began to fade. Akiko clasped the wrist of her right hand.

"Wait, where are you going?" she asked, panicked. Jutaka smiled at her.

"Don't worry, Akiko. I will always be here. Keep the Talisman of Light close to you and you will never lose me." And with that, the princess faded out of being. Akiko stared at her hand for a moment longer before her arms dropped to hang at her sides. Everyone stood in silence and waited for her to say something. Suddenly, in a brief flash of light, Akiko went back to wearing her school uniform. All traces of her Arctosian form had vanished. Well, almost all. She was still wearing her locket and the ring was still on her right hand.

"Akiko…?" Shin asked nervously. Akiko's head was tilted down so that they couldn't see her eyes.

"I'm the only one who can defeat the monsters created by the Talismans," she said slowly. Her voice held no emotion. Himeno took a step towards her friend.

"Akiko," she said soothingly. "We're here to help you. You won't have to fight alone." Akiko stood stock still.

"I'm the only one left of my race on either of the two worlds," she said. Tears slid down her cheeks and her shoulders trembled slightly. In a whisper, she said, "I'm the only one." Then, she turned and bolted away from the group. Himeno started after her.

"Akiko! Akiko, wait!" she called. Sasame put a hand on the Pretear's shoulder. She turned and looked at the Knight.

"The best thing we can do is leave her alone for now," he told her. Himeno looked sadly away from him to where Akiko was disappearing into the trees.

"I guess…" she said.

* * *

Akiko ran through the forest, tears pouring down her face. How could all of this be dumped on her so suddenly? Didn't they understand that she didn't want to be a part of this? All she wanted was to go back to her normal life. Maybe she shouldn't have signed up for the cultural exchange program. All of this wouldn't have happened if she hadn't left home.

Soon, she entered a small clearing. In the center of the grove was a small reflecting pool and a wooden bench. Akiko stumbled over to the bench and sat down. Sobs wrenched themselves from her chest and she shook her head as she cried. For a few minutes, she sat there, crying until she had no more tears.

"I never wanted any of this," she whispered. She cupped a hand under her locket. "I never wanted something like this to happen to me." Then, rage began welling up inside of her. All of this was caused by her locket. The stupid little thing had to start this ridiculous chain of events. In a burst of anger, Akiko ripped the locket off of the chain and hurled it towards the trees. A hand reached out and caught it deftly.

"I don't think you want to lose this," a gentle voice said. Akiko watched as Sasame emerged from the forest across the reflecting pool.

"Y-you followed me?" Akiko asked him. He nodded and walked over to her. He sat down on the bench beside her and held out his hand. The locket's gem gleamed in the light of the setting sun. Akiko shook her head and said, "I don't think I want it."

"Are you sure about that?" Sasame asked. He picked up the two ends of the chain. When Akiko had torn it from her neck, it had simply undone the clasp. No part of the chain or clasp had been broken. Sasame leaned forward and pulled the chain around Akiko's neck. After fastening the clasp, he sat back and smiled at her. Her blue eyes, although full of tears, still shined when she smiled back.

"Thank you," she said quietly. Sasame stood up and offered her a hand. After looking at it hesitantly, Akiko took it and let him help her up.

"We should get back to the mansion. Everyone will be worried about you," he told her. She nodded and they both started off into the forest.

* * *

_~ ~ Boy that was one of the longest chapters I've written for this story. Oh well. It was filled with more emotion than I originally thought it would. Well, it's all for the better, I guess. Review please! ~ ~_


	6. Just Need a Person to Talk to

_~ ~ Whoa, I'm on chapter six already! This story is flowing better than I thought. I hope you guys like it so far. I'm trying not to draw out the plot line too much, but I don't want to have short and choppy chapters either. Well, nothing's prefect, right? ~ ~_

* * *

**Just Need a Person to Talk to**

At dinner, Akiko said nothing. Himeno asked Natsue if the Knights could join them and she agreed. Although she didn't remember anything that happened in the battle against the Princess of Disaster, Natsue wanted Himeno to be happy and make some good friends. The only person who remembers what really happened that day was Mawata. Although she wasn't quite over the fact that Sasame didn't love her the way she loved him, she was still cheerful and more social than before.

After everyone was finished eating, Akiko went straight to her room. Although they were worried about her, the Knights decided to let her alone for now. Himeno waved to them as they walked off towards the portal to Leafenia. Back up in her room, Himeno quickly finished her homework. Then, she noticed that Akiko hadn't picked up her school things before she had went to her room. After a brief moment of thought, she decided to bring it to her.

* * *

"Akiko?" she called, knocking lightly on the door. "It's me, Himeno." From inside the room, she heard a small, "You can come in." Himeno opened the door and walked in, shutting it gently behind her.

Akiko was sitting on her bed with her knees tucked up against her chest. Her eyes were red and blotchy as if she had been crying. Himeno smiled warmly at her and set the things she was carrying on the desk chair by the door. Then, she walked over and climbed onto Akiko's bed.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Akiko shook her head.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Akiko pondered this question for a few moments before saying, "Yes." Himeno smiled and tucked her feet so that she was sitting pretzel-style.

"Alright," she said. "I'm ready." Akiko took a deep breath before beginning.

"What was it like when you first became the Pretear?" she asked. Himeno looked up at the ceiling, trying to remember.

"Well, at first I was rather confused, like you were. I thought that the Knights were playing some prank on me or something. Then, I saw just how serious they were about everything they had said," Himeno told her. Akiko watched her with a slightly bemused look.

"How did you first meet the Knights?" she asked. The Pretear laughed.

"Now _that_ is a funny story," Himeno told her. She closed her eyes and started to recount the story.

"It was over a year ago. Me and my dad had just settled in here at the mansion and I was still getting used to things. Well, one day, Mayune had Mr. Tanaka drive off in the limo without me. I decided to take a shortcut through the woods so that I wouldn't be late to school. Well, while I was in the woods, I accidentally stepped on a plant. That was when I ran into Shin. I told him I wanted to heal the plant and he told me to take his hand. Well, I did and suddenly, the plant was healed. In fact, it was healed so much that it actually bloomed! Then, I got really tired and I guess I fainted.

"When I woke up, Hayate was staring at me. It was pretty embarrassing. After all of the other Knights had come in, I realized that I was inside this giant tree. It was pretty weird. Well, the Knights bickered and fought and argued for a couple of minutes. I thought they were some kind of cult because they kept talking about stuff I didn't understand. Then, Hayate called me a 'Tulip Headed Valley Girl.' Needless to say, I was pretty angry. So, I knocked him out and stomped out of the building.

"I was in Leafenia. After a few seconds of wondering where I was and how I got there, I realized that I had left my stuff back in the building! While I was debating with myself as to whether or not I should go get it, I heard a voice behind me. Low and behold it was Hayate. He looked pretty angry that he had to be the one to bring me my stuff. When I asked him what he wanted, he told me that Shin wanted to see me. He asked me if I was okay and if I was still angry.

"He looked so innocent and honestly scared, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. I told him I was fine and no, I wasn't mad. Hayate showed me the way out of Leafenia and I said goodbye to him and Shin.

"Later, after I had gone to school and was arriving at home, I was told I had some guests. I wondered who they could be. Get this: it was the Knights! Apparently, they had found out where I lived and decided they would pay me a little visit. They told me who they were and what they were trying to accomplish and, as I said before, I totally didn't believe them. They tried to convince me, but all it did was get me mad at them.

"I sort of kept running into them after that. I would be out just trying to mind my own business and they would pop up and tell me they needed me. And that's pretty much how everything got started between us."

Himeno smiled at Akiko. The story of how she became the Pretear wasn't an extremely interesting one, but it still could impact a person. Akiko was looking at her with a new gleam in her eyes.

"It seems as if you enjoy being around them," she said. Himeno laughed.

"They're a great group of guys. We had lots of fun times together, but we also had some bad times. I guess the perfect combination of both good and bad experiences helped us get closer," the Pretear speculated. Akiko nodded.

"That's how it seems to me." Himeno smiled warmly at her.

"Still need someone to talk to?" she asked. Akiko shook her head.

"Not anymore." Himeno got up and walked over to the door. "Oh, Himeno?" She turned and looked at Akiko. Her friend looked much better than she had earlier.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you….for everything." Himeno smiled and said, "Well, see you tomorrow." And with that, she walked out of Akiko's room and shut the door quietly behind her.

* * *

_~ ~ Aw, that was a really touching scene, even for me. Anyways, that was a rather short chapter. Oh well! On with the story! ;) ~ ~_


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